FOREWORD
“ MariSilicon X is only a small step for Oppo … It will be a long journey , with many challenges ahead , but we will persevere ”
MOBILE MAGAZINE IS PUBLISHED BY
CHEN MINGYONG , OPPO FOUNDER & CEO
It ’ s going to be a big year for Chinese chips
Oppo , never a company to be outdone by its domestic rivals , is launching its first in-house smartphone SoC this quarter , adding another nail in the coffin of China ’ s dependence on US chipmakers like Qualcomm and Intel .
Though it ’ s definitely been galvanised by the global chip shortage , not to mention US sanctions against Chinese firms , change in the global microchip manufacturing sector has long been overdue . Faced with steadily growing demand for their devices and a perennial shortage of chips to power them , smartphone makers are increasingly turning to in-house designs . Last year saw Huawei , Vivo , and Xiaomi ( which is still fighting for a successful follow up to its first attempt at a homegrown chip ) all make strides towards semiconductor self-sufficiency , and now Oppo is joining the race with the MariSilicon X .
No matter who wins , Qualcomm ( which has enjoyed a virtual monopoly on supplying cheap SoCs to affordable Chinese brands for years ) loses .
This isn ’ t a fully Chinese trend , of course . Google ’ s new in-house Tensor chips were a big part of last year ’ s Pixel 6 launch being as successful as it was . This is shaping up to be the decade where anyone who ’ s anyone who makes phones also makes the silicon inside them .
HARRY MENEAR h . menear @ bizclikmedia . com © 2021 | ALL RIGHTS RESERVED mobile-magazine . com 5